We kick off this weekend’s review with a look at the HB Women’s Premiership. This season we have 11 teams entered playing in one competition. There will be a full first round (10 games each) before we look to split into a split second round top/bottom format.

The early pacesetters are pre-season favourites Rothbury Insurance Brokers Port Hill United 1st and Havelock North Wanderers who are both three from three and sit two points clear of Hastings Hibernian. Port Hill have been all guns blazing scoring goals for fun in their first three games and with Briar Cloake having found the net 12 times already, they have an early contender in the Golden Boot race.

Last season’s doubling winning Eskview Blue have had a win and a loss, plus the bye, but will be looking to kick off their season along when they host the young Taradale Development team next weekend.

In the Computer Care Pacific Premiership Taradale produced an upset by beating Alexander Electric Napier Marist 2-0 at Park Island and, in the process, taking the Challenge Cup home with them. Taradale, through goals from Shane Medland in the 15th minute and a late header from Brendan Quinn, were good for the three points as they soaked up all Marist could throw at them. Marist wasn’t helped by the sending off of Jett Hogg straight after halftime and Ricky Foote’s Taradale boys will now look to kick on after securing their first win of the season.

On the adjacent field, Duke of Gloucester Napier City Rovers had a great old tussle with Heavy Equipment Gisborne United coming out on top 3-2 after United fought back from 2-0 down. Stu Wilson scored a superb long-distance strike for Rovers while Josh Harris leapt to the lead of the golden boot race grabbing a brace for United.

Shane McKenzie’s BM Accounting Port Hill United kept their perfect record intact with a comfortable 5-0 win over Building King Havelock North Wanderers. Jamie Provinces was the man of the moment clinically scoring four of his side’s goals.

The other two games in the round were close affairs with Eskview edging Gisborne Thistle 1-0 at Petane Domain and Clubs Hastings Western Rangers beating Cru Bar Mayenvale United by the same score at the Hastings Sports Park.